Volume 3 Chapter 159: The Crafter Who Wasn’t Given a Chance

The familiar sensation of teleportation slowly faded.

Blue particles drifted away from Rio and Ryota as the scenery of Floor One finished materializing around them. The oppressive heat of Floor Two was gone, replaced by the refreshing air of a lower floor. A gentle breeze moved through the village streets, carrying the scent of grass and trees along with the smell of freshly baked bread from a nearby stall. Somewhere deeper within the settlement, the steady ringing of a blacksmith's hammer echoed between the buildings.

Rio took a moment to look around.

They had arrived in the small village near Dragon's Peak.

Compared with the enormous cities that existed on the higher floors, the settlement was modest. Wooden buildings stood along stone-paved streets, with shops, inns, equipment stores, and quest boards scattered throughout the village. Players wandered between the buildings, some carrying newly purchased equipment while others discussed their next dungeon or hunting destination.

Beyond the village, the enormous mountain range of Dragon's Peak dominated the horizon.

Its tallest peaks were covered in snow, their white slopes reflecting the sunlight high above them. Even from this distance, the mountains looked impossibly large.

Ryota stretched his arms above his head.

"Feels strange being back on Floor One."

Rio nodded.

"It does."

There was something nostalgic about returning here.

Floor One had been where everything began.

It was the place where players first learned how Evermount worked, where beginners took their first steps into the world, and where Rio herself had once spent countless hours building the foundation of the character that would eventually become the Silver War Goddess.

She opened her friends list.

Cynthia was still online.

Her status remained unchanged.

[Online — Floor One]

Rio opened their message history.

The last message from Cynthia was still displayed.

[Cynthia]: I'm at the restaurant near the eastern square.

Rio closed the interface.

"She's waiting for us."

Ryota nodded.

"Then let's not keep her waiting."

They began walking through the village.

It didn't take long to find the restaurant.

The building was a cozy two-story structure made from dark timber and pale stone. Warm lanterns hung beneath the roof, while several wooden tables occupied the outdoor seating area. The open windows allowed the smell of roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and herbs to drift into the street.

Rio pushed the door open.

A small bell hanging above the entrance rang softly.

Ding.

The restaurant wasn't particularly crowded. Several players occupied the tables, quietly discussing quests and equipment while NPC waiters moved between them carrying trays of food.

Rio's eyes immediately swept across the room.

Then she saw her.

Cynthia was sitting alone near one of the windows.

She was wearing the same brown crafting clothes Rio remembered from their previous encounters. Her gloves rested beside her on the table, and several crafting pouches hung from her belt. Her equipment looked practical rather than flashy, clearly chosen for someone who spent more time working with materials than fighting monsters.

But something about her appearance was different.

Cynthia looked tired.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Her shoulders were slightly lowered, and the excitement that normally appeared whenever she talked about crafting seemed almost completely absent.

Rio noticed immediately.

She had seen that expression before.

Not from Cynthia in this timeline.

From people who had already begun convincing themselves that their dreams weren't worth pursuing.

Cynthia noticed them approaching and quickly straightened.

Her expression brightened slightly.

She stood.

"Rio."

Then her eyes moved toward Ryota.

"Ryota."

Rio smiled.

"Cynthia."

The three exchanged greetings before Cynthia sat back down.

Rio and Ryota took the seats across from her.

For several seconds, none of them spoke.

The sounds of the restaurant continued around them, but there was an awkward quietness at their table.

Cynthia eventually gave a small laugh.

"It's been a while."

Rio nodded.

"It has."

She studied Cynthia carefully.

The crafter smiled, but the expression didn't quite reach her eyes.

Rio had seen enough people in her previous life to recognize that kind of smile.

It was the smile people used when they were trying to convince everyone—including themselves—that everything was fine.

Rio rested one hand against the table.

"Before we talk about the weapon..."

Cynthia blinked.

"Hm?"

Rio looked directly at her.

"What happened?"

Cynthia's smile slowly disappeared.

Rio continued.

"Why aren't you in Oblivion Pledge anymore?"

The question immediately changed the atmosphere.

Cynthia's fingers curled around the edge of her sleeve.

For several seconds, she didn't answer.

Then she lowered her eyes.

"They merged."

Ryota frowned.

"Oblivion Pledge?"

Cynthia nodded.

"With another guild."

She took a slow breath before continuing.

"Absolute Zero."

Ryota leaned back slightly.

Cynthia continued explaining.

"The two guilds were struggling to maintain their positions separately. Their operating costs were increasing, and the shareholders believed a merger would be more profitable."

She gave a small, humorless laugh.

"So they created a new guild."

"Oblivion Zero."

Ryota's eyebrows rose.

"So Oblivion Pledge basically disappeared."

"Yes."

Cynthia looked toward the window.

"The name changed. The leadership structure changed. The headquarters changed."

Her fingers slowly tightened around the cup in front of her.

"Most of the departments were reorganized too."

She hesitated.

"Especially the crafting division."

Rio remained silent.

She already had a feeling about where this was going.

Cynthia placed both hands around her cup.

"The shareholders reviewed everyone's performance."

"They wanted to reduce expenses."

Her voice became quieter.

"And apparently..."

She paused.

"...I was one of those expenses."

Ryota's expression hardened.

"Too expensive?"

Cynthia nodded.

"They said I used too many resources."

"Materials. Equipment. Rare crafting components. Experimental catalysts. Special tools."

She looked down.

"They said I spent too much money on experiments that didn't produce immediate returns."

Her voice carried a hint of embarrassment.

"I was always testing new things."

"New alloys. Different weapon structures. Alternative enchantment combinations. Different methods of strengthening equipment."

She laughed weakly.

"Sometimes I failed."

Ryota gave her a sympathetic look.

"Sometimes?"

Cynthia's shoulders sank.

"A lot."

Despite himself, Ryota smiled slightly.

Cynthia did too, but the expression disappeared almost immediately.

"And apparently, that was enough."

Rio's eyes narrowed.

"Who made the decision?"

"The shareholders."

Cynthia answered without hesitation.

"Their decision was final."

She took another breath.

"Dark Shadow tried to stop them."

Rio's expression changed.

"The guild leader?"

Cynthia nodded.

"He was completely against it."

"He told them I was one of the most valuable craftsmen in the guild. He argued that my experimental work had long-term potential."

A faint smile appeared on Cynthia's face.

"He even told them that some failures were necessary."

"Nobody discovers new techniques without taking risks, he said."

Ryota nodded.

"Sounds like something a good guild leader would say."

Cynthia's smile faded.

"But it didn't matter."

"The shareholders had already made their decision."

"Dark Shadow couldn't overturn it."

She stared down at the table.

"And eventually..."

Her voice became quieter.

"I was removed."

The words were simple.

But the weight behind them was anything but.

Rio didn't interrupt.

Cynthia continued after a moment.

"After that, I started looking for another guild."

"At first, I thought it wouldn't be difficult."

She gave a quiet laugh.

"I'm a crafter. I thought there would always be guilds looking for one."

Ryota nodded.

"That makes sense."

Cynthia shook her head.

"It wasn't like that."

She looked embarrassed.

"Most guilds already have dedicated craftsmen."

"And the ones that don't..."

She hesitated.

"...can't afford me."

Rio remained silent.

Cynthia continued.

"They asked about my crafting methods."

"My material requirements."

"My workshop needs."

"The amount of resources I normally use."

She stared at her hands.

"And after hearing everything..."

"They'd apologize."

Her smile became increasingly sad.

"Some told me they couldn't justify the expense."

"Others said they needed a crafter who could produce consistent results."

"And some simply stopped responding."

Her voice became quieter.

"I've been rejected so many times that..."

She stopped.

Rio waited.

Cynthia looked down at her hands.

"...I've started wondering if they're right."

The words hit harder than anything else she had said.

Ryota's expression changed.

Cynthia continued.

"Maybe I'm just not good enough."

"Maybe I really do waste too many resources."

"Maybe all those experiments..."

She swallowed.

"...were pointless."

Rio watched her carefully.

Cynthia tried to laugh.

The sound was weak and quickly disappeared.

"Honestly..."

She looked toward the window.

"I've been thinking about quitting."

Silence fell over the table.

The restaurant hadn't actually become quieter, but the sounds around them suddenly seemed distant. Plates clinked somewhere behind Rio. Players continued talking at nearby tables. An NPC waiter passed by carrying several dishes.

Yet none of it seemed to matter.

Cynthia had just said she was considering leaving Evermount.

Rio didn't immediately respond.

Cynthia suddenly raised both hands.

"I'm sorry."

She quickly shook her head.

"I didn't mean to dump all of this on you."

"You called me because you wanted a weapon."

She forced a smile.

"I shouldn't have turned this into my problems."

"I'm sorry, Rio."

Rio continued staring at her.

She wasn't angry.

She wasn't disappointed.

Instead, something inside her had finally clicked into place.

She understood.

In her original timeline, Cynthia had disappeared.

Not dramatically.

There had been no major announcement.

No farewell.

No public scandal.

One day, the Legendary Crafter simply stopped appearing.

Players had speculated for months.

Some believed she had quit Evermount.

Others claimed she had moved to another game.

A few people had suggested that she had disappeared because of some dispute with her guild.

Nobody had known the truth.

Rio hadn't known either.

Until now.

And the irony of it all was almost painful.

After Cynthia disappeared from Evermount in the original timeline, her inventions became legendary.

Weapons based on her designs would eventually sell for millions of silver coins.

One silver coin was worth one hundred copper coins.

Millions.

The same inventions that people had once considered too expensive to fund would eventually become some of the most valuable pieces of equipment in Evermount.

The experiments that had been called wasteful would eventually influence entire crafting industries.

The risks people had refused to take would eventually become the foundation for some of the greatest weapons ever created.

And yet, right now, Cynthia was sitting across from Rio believing she was nothing more than a burden.

Rio's fingers slowly tightened beneath the table.

She wasn't going to let that happen again.

Not because she knew Cynthia would eventually become famous.

Not because she wanted access to legendary equipment.

Not because she wanted to exploit knowledge of the future.

She simply refused to watch someone with genuine talent abandon something she loved because nobody had been willing to believe in her.

Rio finally spoke.

"The reason I called you..."

Cynthia looked up.

"...was because I wanted you to make a weapon for me."

Cynthia blinked.

"Really?"

Rio nodded.

"Yes."

She paused.

"But now..."

Her gaze became more serious.

"...I have another reason."

Cynthia tilted her head.

"What reason?"

Rio looked directly into her eyes.

"I want to help you."

Cynthia froze.

Rio continued.

"I've been looking for a personal crafter."

"We don't have one in our guild."

She leaned slightly forward.

"And I'd be happy if you became ours."

Cynthia stared at her.

For several seconds, she seemed unable to process what Rio had just said.

"...You mean..."

Rio nodded.

"I want you to join Crowned Era."

Cynthia immediately shook her head.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that even Ryota blinked.

Cynthia looked flustered.

"Rio, you shouldn't."

Rio frowned slightly.

"Why?"

"Because..."

Cynthia lowered her gaze.

Her hands trembled slightly.

"You shouldn't invite me just because you feel sorry for me."

Rio's expression softened.

"I'm not."

Cynthia shook her head.

"I know you're trying to help."

"But your guild is growing."

"You should save your crafter position for someone more talented."

She swallowed.

"Someone who can produce more."

"Someone who doesn't consume so many resources."

"Someone who can actually contribute."

Her voice became quieter.

"I'm not that person."

She stared at the table.

"I'm just..."

Her voice almost disappeared.

"...a failure."

Rio's expression changed.

"Cynthia."

Cynthia looked up.

Rio's voice was quiet.

But firm.

"Don't downplay yourself."

Cynthia froze.

Rio continued.

"You're a good crafter."

She paused.

"The best one I know."

Cynthia's eyes widened.

Rio wasn't saying it because she knew Cynthia's future.

She wasn't praising the Legendary Crafter that Cynthia would eventually become.

She meant it.

Because she had seen Cynthia work before.

During her adventures through the snowy mountains, Rio had watched Cynthia approach crafting problems that other players had considered impossible. She had watched her dismantle rare materials, test different combinations, fail, record what went wrong, rebuild her designs, and try again.

Cynthia had never been satisfied with simply producing something that worked.

She wanted to understand why it worked.

She wanted to know whether it could be improved.

She wanted to discover what nobody else had discovered.

That was what made her different.

That was what made her talented.

Cynthia wasn't a failure.

She was a creator who hadn't been given enough room to create.

Cynthia's eyes began to tremble.

"That's not true..."

Her voice cracked.

"I'm just a failure."

She swallowed hard.

"No one even wants me."

Her hands tightened against the table.

"I cost more than what I can produce."

"I'm just..."

Her voice became almost inaudible.

"...nothing but a burden."

Rio stared at her.

Then she answered calmly.

"That's not true."

Cynthia's eyes lifted.

"If they don't believe in your abilities..."

Rio leaned forward.

"...then let them."

Cynthia froze.

Rio's gaze never wavered.

"I believe in you."

The words were simple.

There was no grand speech.

No dramatic promise.

Just certainty.

"I believe in your abilities."

"That's all that matters."

Cynthia's lips trembled.

She quickly looked away.

But Rio saw it.

The tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Cynthia had spent days hearing the same message from one guild after another.

Too expensive.

Too risky.

Too inconsistent.

Too wasteful.

Not worth the investment.

And now someone was telling her the exact opposite.

Someone was telling her that they believed she had something worth protecting.

Not because she had already proven herself to the entire player base.

Not because she was already famous.

Not because Rio needed a legendary crafter.

But because Rio had looked at her and seen the person behind all those failed experiments.

Cynthia covered her eyes with one hand.

"I..."

Her voice trembled.

"I'm sorry."

Rio shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize."

Cynthia took a shaky breath and wiped the corner of her eye.

Rio then turned toward Ryota.

"You have no issues with her joining, right?"

Ryota smiled immediately.

"Of course not."

He leaned back in his chair.

"She's the one who crafted my weapon."

He tapped the weapon hanging at his side.

"And she helped repair Iron Steve."

Cynthia blinked.

Ryota grinned.

"So I'm definitely not complaining."

He looked directly at her.

"It'll be fun playing with you, Cynthia."

His smile widened.

"I hope you join us on our journey."

Cynthia stared at him.

For the first time since sitting down, her expression softened.

She looked from Ryota back to Rio.

Rio was already opening the guild interface.

A familiar system window appeared above the table.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Guild Invitation]

Crowned Era

Guild Leader: Rio

Would you like to join Crowned Era?

[ACCEPT]

[DECLINE]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Rio looked at Cynthia.

The crafter stared at the invitation.

Her eyes were still wet, and her hands trembled slightly.

She had spent days wondering whether she still had a place in Evermount.

Whether anyone wanted her.

Whether her dreams were worth pursuing.

Now, someone was offering her a place without demanding that she prove herself first.

Rio smiled.

"Cynthia."

Her voice was gentle.

"I'd like you to join our guild."

She held out her hand slightly, not forcing Cynthia to take it, but offering it nonetheless.

"Would you be willing to become Crowned Era's personal crafter?"

Cynthia stared at the invitation.

Then at Rio.

Then at Ryota.

Her lips trembled.

She tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

For several seconds, she simply sat there, staring at the system window.

Then a small, broken smile appeared on her face.

She slowly raised her hand.

Her finger hovered over [ACCEPT].

For the first time since leaving Oblivion Pledge, Cynthia felt like someone actually wanted her.

Not because of what she had already accomplished.

Not because of what she might eventually become.

But because someone believed she was worth giving a chance.

Her finger slowly descended.

And touched the button.

[ACCEPT]

The invitation disappeared.

A moment later, a system notification appeared before them.

[Congratulations!]

[Cynthia has joined Crowned Era.]

[Crowned Era Player Count Increased.]

Rio smiled.

Ryota immediately raised one hand.

"Welcome to the guild."

Cynthia looked at the two of them.

The tears she had been desperately holding back finally slipped down her cheeks.

But this time, she was smiling.

A genuine smile.

A smile Rio hadn't seen in a very long time.

Cynthia quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand, embarrassed by the tears.

"I..."

She laughed softly.

"I didn't think I'd cry."

Ryota smiled.

"You're allowed to."

Cynthia looked at him.

"Really?"

"Of course."

Ryota shrugged.

"Joining a guild is a pretty big deal."

Cynthia covered her mouth as a small laugh escaped her.

For the first time that evening, the heaviness surrounding her seemed to lift.

Rio smiled.

That was better.

Much better.

Cynthia had spent too long believing she needed permission to belong somewhere.

She didn't.

She had earned the right to pursue her craft simply by refusing to give up on it.

All she had needed was someone willing to give her another chance.

And now she had one.

Rio looked toward the window.

Beyond the restaurant, the distant peaks of Dragon's Peak remained visible beneath the evening sky.

The world of Evermount was enormous.

There were countless dungeons still waiting to be discovered, countless weapons that had yet to be created, and countless futures that Rio had never seen before.

In her previous life, Cynthia had vanished from that world.

This time, Rio intended to make sure she didn't.

The legendary crafter who had once been told she was too expensive, too risky, and too difficult to support had finally found a place where someone believed in her.

Not because she was already legendary.

But because someone believed she could become something extraordinary.

And for Cynthia, that small act of trust might have been the most valuable thing anyone had ever given her.

She had a guild now.

She had people who wanted her there.

And, perhaps most importantly, she finally had a reason to keep creating.

This time, the Crafter Who Wasn't Given a Chance had been given one.

And she wasn't going to waste it.